


Cryptic Roses (DISCONTINUED)

by orphan_account



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Abuse, Adopted Children, Adopted Siblings, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Androids, Asexual Character, Autism Spectrum, Banshees, Blood Drinking, Breaking and Entering, Candy, Cars, Celebrities, Concerts, Controlling Behavior, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreamscapes, Gay Parents, Ghosts, Heavy Metal, IZURU IS CIS BUT STILL USES THEY/THEM PRONOUNS, Ice Cream, Kiyo is a sleepy boi, Kokichi's a flat earther, M/M, Mentioned Noncon, Monsters are Oppressed, Murder, Nonbinary Character, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, That's All I Can Think Of, Trans Male Character, Vampires, slight harassment, uhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 9,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21516211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Korekiyo's found himself in an.... interesting situation.**CRITICISM APPRECIATED AND ENCOURAGED**
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Shinguji Korekiyo, Gokuhara Gonta/Hoshi Ryoma, Towa Monaca & The Warriors of Hope, more relationships to be added - Relationship
Comments: 67
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

_Do you want to live forever?_

That was all the mysterious notecard said.

An interesting prospect, Korekiyo thought. There were many repercussions to such an idea, but so many benefits all the same.

He’d be stuck with Sister forever…. And yet it was too interesting to pass up.

The word “yes” briefly passed his lips, but it wasn’t his word. Sister had chosen for him, it would seem.

Flipping the card over, there was a time and an address. Sister hissed at him to hurry, as there wasn’t much time left.

Ignoring his therapist coming down the stairs, he left, walking as quickly as he could to the location named.

* * *

“Shinguji.”

He turned to the source of the voice, slightly startled.

A green-haired stranger with jade eyes, casual clothing, and a calm demeanor approached. “I see you’ve taken up my offer.”

Korekiyo nodded.

“I’m Rantaro Amami.”

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“I understand you may feel you’re at a disadvantage. I knew your name before you knew mine, despite not introducing yourself.”

Another simple nod.

“There’s no need to be shy.”

“I apologize.”

Rantaro smiled at him, baring sharp fangs.

Korekiyo’s breath hitched and he stepped back. “What—?”

“It’s alright, there’s no need to be afraid.” He sighed. “Though I get that a lot. Being a vampire and all.”

A vampire.

They were common, sure, but seeing one here in front of him... it was surreal. Especially since they were monsters, part of a very oppressed group. The panic was quickly replaced with fascination.

Rantaro chuckled softly and took a step toward the other. “You’ve done your research. You know how to kill me. I won’t put up a fight.”

Korekiyo cleared his throat and stood up a bit straighter. “I wouldn’t kill you, despite being fully capable.”

“I see. You take pity on me, then?”

“Of course not.”

The other got closer still. “Does your agreement still stand?”

“Hm?”

“I’m sure you can infer my intentions by now. Is this still what you want?”

“Yes.”

That was all Rantaro needed to hear. He wasted no time removing Korekiyo’s jacket and half-removing his undershirt, exposing his neck, and biting down.

Korekiyo winced at the sharp pain, mind fading into a blurry haze. He was only vaguely aware that he was bleeding and Rantaro was _drinking it_.

He soon lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

When Korekiyo came to, he noticed several things.

  * He was in a comfortable bed, entire body covered by a soft, warm, sherpa blanket.
  * Despite the previous fact, he was cold.
  * He didn't feel Sister's presence.
  * His neck ached.
  * He was incredibly hungry.



He pressed two fingers to his wrist.

No pulse.

Then the fingers went to where he'd been bitten. A full-body rush of pain quickly taught him that'd been a terrible idea.

He let himself curl up into a ball, shaking and resisting the urge to cry. God, that had hurt so bad... 

Wait.

He was dead. 

And where was Sister?

Who's bed was this?

What'd happened since he faded to black?

How long had he been out?

After a few more minutes, his ever-increasing hunger drove him to get up. Thankfully, the pain had subsided by now.

He picked up his jacket from the bedside table and put it on. He didn't bother worrying about his mask, which was missing anyways.

He was still cold.

"You're awake," Rantaro's voice came from the doorway.

Korekiyo turned to the other and nodded.

"You're also hungry."

Another nod.

"That's to be expected. But I can provide. Come with me."

Korekiyo wasted no time following the other downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

They decided to talk on the couch.

"You have a lot of questions, correct?"

"Yes."

"Ask away. We have all the time in the world."

"Where's my sister?"

Rantaro smiled. "You don't have a soul anymore, meaning she no longer had a soul to attach herself to. She was forced to move on."

Korekiyo looked down at his hands, which were no longer bandaged.

He pressed his tongue against his teeth, feeling fangs.

He felt the hunger growing stronger by the second.

He wiped the lipstick from his lips with his sleeve.

This felt better. Without her influence.

Of course, even if he wanted to go back now, he couldn't.

"This is your house, isn't it?"

Rantaro nodded. "I hope you didn't mind me putting you to bed."

"No, no, I didn't mind." He smiled a bit. "How long was I...?"

"About 6 hours. It was better you were unconscious anyway. Turning is painful."

A slight nod. ".....so this is my life now. Or un-life, I guess."

"Correct." Rantaro stared at Korekiyo a moment and got to his feet, walking to stand in front of the other. "You still have yet to feed."

"I'm aware of what it entails, and although I agreed to this, I'm hesitant to do such a thing." His eyes shift from his hands to Rantaro's arm. "I..."

"I get it. I was afraid, too." He smiled, though it was a bit ominous. "But trust me. You'll never find anything as sweet and filling as the blood of your creator."

Another hunger pang. Korekiyo sighed. "Alright."

"Good." The other held his arm out in offering. "Take as much as you need. It poses no risk to me, as I have blood bags in the cooler to replenish anything lost."

He resisted the urge to shoot back a "no need to be so technical", but he was starving by this point, and so he bit down.

His method of retrieving the blood was messy and inexperienced, exactly as expected, but he'd be damned if Rantaro wasn't right.

He drank for almost a full 2 minutes before he was satisfied.

Rantaro simply chuckled, wiped a bit of blood from the corner of Korekiyo's mouth with his thumb, and left to retrieve a blood bag.

Afterward, the newly-turned vampire just sat there, trying to comprehend everything that'd just happened.


	4. Chapter 4

"Tell me about yourself, Rantaro."

"I'm a Libra, I've been active for just over 100 years--"

"N-no, not--" Korekiyo sighed. "Not that. What do you do in your spare time, do you have friends you talk to, your favorite animals, those things."

A chuckle. "Of course. When not dealing with blood cravings and other vampiric business, I do have a friend group I spend time with."

"That's good. Who are they?"

It took a minute for Rantaro to recall all of the names. "Shuichi, Kaede, Kokichi, Gonta, Ryoma, Miu, Kiibo, Tenko, Himiko, Tsumugi, Kirumi, Maki, and Kaito."

"Might I meet them one day?"

"One day. For now, just focus on relaxing and getting used to the physical changes."

Just as the other finished his statement, Korekiyo shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.

Rantaro picked up a blanket that had been folded on the back of the couch and wrapped it around Korekiyo, pulling him into a hug. "I know this is a lot... and so quick..."

Korekiyo nodded and leaned into the touch, resting his head against Rantaro's chest.

"I'll make this as comfortable as I can for you." He lowered his voice to just barely a whisper. "I know what you've been through, Shinguji. With your sister and all."

"Have.... have you been following me?"

"I was following her. I saw what she did to you in the process."

"Why?"

"A friend wanted me to gather information about her."

"How long were you following her?"

"A few years. When she passed, I started following you and did my best to protect you. But for you to be completely safe, I had to get rid of her, and this was the only way I knew how."

The corner of Korekiyo's mouth twitched in a suppressed smile. "....thank you, Rantaro."

Rantaro ran his hand through Korekiyo's hair, rocking the younger slightly. "You're welcome."

Korekiyo fell asleep again.


	5. Chapter 5

Korekiyo woke up in the backseat of a car, a note taped to the back of the front seat and a blood bag shoved in the cupholder.

After sitting up and stretching the best he could with a yawn, he looked out the window.

The car was parked in a rather messy garage. Said garage's door was open.

He took the blood bag, bit the plastic IV part off, and used the remaining tube as a straw, grabbing the note and reading it.

_ Whenever you wake up and see this, come into the house. I'm with the friend group I was telling you about. _

_ -Rantaro _

"Hm." Korekiyo opened the car door and stepped out, noting his jacket, shirt, jeans, and boots had been replaced with a comfy sweater and soft sweatpants, as well as sneakers.

He then left the garage and went inside, following the loud laughter and chatter he could hear.

There were quite a few people were gathered. He could only recognize 1; Rantaro.

The talking came to a halt, and all heads turned to him.

"This is Shinguji, the man I was telling you about," Rantaro said after a moment. "Say hello, won't you?"

Korekiyo glanced off to the side. "H-hello..."

"Oh my God, he's cute!" squealed one of the girls.

Another girl hit her shoulder, fern-green eyes narrowed. "No degenerate male could possibly be cute!"

"Shut up, ya lesbo," a shorter man called from across the room. He then turned to Korekiyo with a wide grin. "Name's Kokichi. Man-hater's Tenko, the pink-haired bitch is Miu."

Korekiyo gave a slow nod and fully walked into the room, sitting next to Rantaro. Said green-haired man wrapped an arm around him with a slight smile.

"Apart from those who were already introduced, would you all be so kind as to introduce yourselves?" Rantaro's tone made the question seem more like an order.

"I'm Kaede. This is Shuichi."

"Gonta's name is Gonta!"

"I'm Angie!"

"Ryoma."

"The name's Kaito, Luminary of the Stars!"

"Maki."

"My name is Kirumi."

"I'm Tsumugi!"

"Nyeh... I'm Himiko."

He smiled. "It's nice to meet you all."


	6. Chapter 6

"....and that is why the Earth is flat," Kokichi finished with a grin.

Gonta opened his mouth to say something, but Ryoma hurried to shush him.

"That is.... terrible reasoning," Korekiyo muttered.

Miu's eyes looked like they were bound to pop out of her head any moment. "Are you insane?!"

"Just a little bit. But aren't we all?"

"If your definition of insanity is being a flat-earther," Kaede sighed. "You're the only insane one in this room."

"I dunno, Gonta looks convinced. Maybe I got through to him, nishishi~"

"Ryoma says you're wrong, so Gonta doesn't believe you," the green-haired werewolf replied.

"I know this is out of nowhere," Miu suddenly spoke. "But do any of you bitches know where Kiibo is?"

Rantaro picked up his phone and sent a text. "They say they're at Kazuichi's place."

"Oh, so they're busy getting fu--"

"For repairs," he added, a little too loudly. "They're there for repairs, and they've said before they can't have sex nor are they interested, _Miu_."

"You're no fun...." She folded her arms and pouted.

"You're being weird as hell."

"S-sorry!"

Korekiyo rolled his eyes and glanced at Rantaro, who pulled him a bit closer.

"So what's the story with the new guy? All you said was that you turned him."

"That's all you need to know, trust me." He sighed and stood up, pulling Korekiyo to his feet. "We'll be leaving now."

Korekiyo waved goodbye as the older led him out of the house and back to the car.


	7. Chapter 7

"You could've left me with them. I'm an adult, I can take care of myself."

" _ Tch. _ Okay. Sure."

Korekiyo raised an eyebrow. "So you don't trust me?"

"I saw the mess you were left as when  _ she  _ left the first time. I don't want them getting involved in that this second time without me there to keep you grounded," Rantaro shot back.

"You don't trust me."

"I don't trust you."

"If you just gave me a chance--"

"Shut up."

Korekiyo turned to look out of the window, falling silent.

"For one, you're not an adult quite yet. Your 18th birthday is tomorrow."

"Close enough."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

Korekiyo did just that.

"Good." Rantaro sighed. "For two, you've done nothing to prove you're capable on your own. It hasn't even been 12 hours since you turned, so how am I supposed to trust you in this state? Especially since you proved yourself completely incapable of being alone responsibly while you were still human?"

"The situations are hardly comparable--"

"I told you to shut up!"

There was silence for another few minutes before Rantaro spoke again.

"You almost jumped from that balcony the other night."

He nodded.

"What stopped you?"

"I...." The dark-haired teen looked down at his feet. "S-sister told me not to. She... She told me there were still things to be learned. That I could still be helpful to Her. That... that maybe my existence m-meant something."

Rantaro barely nodded in acknowledgment, but he was definitely listening.

"If it were anyone else telling me those things, I wouldn't have listened," Korekiyo continued, starting to cry. "But She'd never, ever said something so... kind. A-and it sounded genuine and heartfelt. So I...."

They stopped at a red light. Rantaro reached a hand out and wiped away Korekiyo's tears with his thumb.

"It's okay. She's gone now, forever. You're okay."

He took a deep, shaky breath. "I... I'm okay."

"You're okay. She can't hurt you or control you anymore. You're safe."

"....I'm safe."

"I'll make sure you don't ever get close to doing that kind of thing again. Okay?"

"O-okay."

* * *

By the time they got back to Rantaro's house, Korekiyo was (unsurprisingly) asleep again. Rantaro simply carried him bridal-style into the house and upstairs to the spare bedroom.

He made sure to situate Korekiyo so he'd be as comfortable as possible while he slept, closed the curtains to block out the annoying sunlight, and closed the door behind him when he left.

Rantaro set to cleaning the house to distract himself from the many, many questions running through his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

Korekiyo was asleep, and he was dreaming.

Walking through the same blank-white dreamscape he always did, he found nothing of enough interest to manifest. He felt no emotion at the moment.

Feeling nothing was better than what he'd been feeling before.

"Korekiyo."

The sickeningly familiar voice rang in his ears. She'd spoken so softly, and yet it was so loud.

He fell to his knees and let his head hang, refusing to look at Her. "Sister," he choked out, despite his teary eyes and pounding head and aching heart and urge to vomit.

He felt Her walk closer, then in front of him. She kneeled down to his level and grabbed his chin, tilting his head up to look at Her. "Sweet Korekiyo..."

He felt sick to his stomach as he was forced to meet eyes with Her.

Her eyes were identical to his.

He wanted to rip them right out of Her skull.

She rubbed Her thumb against his lower lip, narrowing Her eyes. "You're not stupid enough to think I'd agree to something that would get rid of me, are you?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat, suppressing his nausea the best he could. "I--"

"I already know the answer. You should know better."

He tore himself away from Her grasp and ducked down again, taking shaky breaths as tears streamed down his face.

"You should know better, Korekiyo. You know you mustn't cry, and you absolutely mustn't pull away from me." She made him face Her again. "You _bastard_. Thinking you'd be rid of me and _being happy about it_ at that. You ought to be ashamed."

"You--"

"Apologize." Her frown morphed into a sadistic grin, eyes widening and pupils dilating. "Apologize. Come now, apologize."

Korekiyo's entire body was trembling by now, and Her cold, unforgiving touch didn't help.

"Apologize."

He remained silent, doing his best to avoid eye contact. She growled and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him flat on his back and straddling him.

She wrapped Her hands around his throat and _squeezed_.

"Apologize," She ordered once more, tone much more threatening.

Korekiyo shrieked and pushed Her off of him, backing away. The tears were falling faster now, and his heart was pounding.

She was on him again in seconds, furious. "KOREKIYO SHINGUJI, APOLOGIZE AT ONCE!"

Korekiyo was asleep, and he was having a nightmare.


	9. Chapter 9

There was more screaming, and more choking, and more stubbornness on Korekiyo's part. She punished him with a kiss and an open palm which She threatened to bring down on him. He refused to apologize still, and true to Her word, She struck him across the face.

He refused still. 

More and more and more, again and again and again, choking and screaming and _kissing_ and striking and _biting--_

_Too much, too much, stop, stop it, it hurts, please, please leave me alone, stop, please, I'll apologi--_

He awoke with a scream.

It took Rantaro about half an hour to calm him and convince him it had only been a nightmare, but nothing he said or did could stop Korekiyo's shaking.

"Shinguji...." Rantaro pulled him into a tight hug.

Korekiyo firmly gripped the material of Rantaro's shirt and buried his face in the other's chest. "W-why do you a-always call me by my l-last name?"

"Would you prefer if I called you by your first?"

"I-I don't mind either w-way, it's just... just something I noticed."

Rantaro gave a small nod and began rubbing Korekiyo's back. "Are you okay now?"

Korekiyo seriously considered the question and its connotations. "I... I don't know."

"....that's perfectly fine. Just know I'm here for you, okay?"

".....o-okay." He held Rantaro's shirt even tighter, to the point he was starting to worry he'd tear the fabric. "Okay."

"I'll call your therapist and explain the situation so we can get you proper help now. Okay?"

"...okay."

"Now go back to sleep. If you have another nightmare, I'll be right here."

He nodded and let Rantaro guide him back to laying down, closing his eyes and letting himself drift from consciousness.

* * *

Rantaro's phone rang. He picked it up, left the room, and answered.

"Hello?"

"They found a body," Ryoma's tired voice came from over the line. He'd clearly been crying. 

Rantaro swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to speak. "Who?"

"Mukuro. Found her all sorts of cut-up and bruised, and naked in a storage closet at a c-church. She was probably..." He didn't dare finish that sentence, they both knew. "Someone even... tore out her fangs."

Rantaro felt sick to his stomach. "H-how long..."

"The cops say she was there for at least 3 days."

"That's... that's horrific."

" _Tch_. You're telling me."


	10. Chapter 10

Korekiyo had gone to sleep for the second time at 5:30 PM. He woke up for the second time at 6:00 PM.

He got up, noticing there was a new set of clothes on the dresser, as well as a note.

_ I went out. _

_ Take a shower and get dressed.  _

_ I filled a blood bag for you. It's on the kitchen table. _

_ I'll be home by 8:00. If not, call the police. _

Korekiyo rose an eyebrow but didn't question it. Rather, he picked up the clothes and made his way to the bathroom.

When he closed the door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

He looked too much like her.

It didn't take long for him to find scissors, nor did it take long for him to decide the desired length and cut it.

Not the neatest, but he could fix it later. Not all that different from her, but it was a start.

\-----

The blood in the blood bag turned out to be Rantaro's.

Type B, irrationally sweet, and slightly intoxicating. Korekiyo wouldn't admit it, but he was sure he could get drunk if he drank enough.

Fortunately, there wasn't enough in the bag for that to happen, just enough to stop his stomach from growling.

Then.... a wail of agony.

He knew what it was; a banshee. And one more upset than normal, judging by how long the sound had lasted.

He felt bad for her.

Wait.

_ It was so loud because she's close. _

Korekiyo looked out of the window.

There, in the empty field next to the house, was a strawberry-blonde woman in a white dress. She was on her knees, head in her hands.

She wailed again.

Now it was clear she was mourning.

He bowed his head slightly. He had no idea who had died, but he would play respects nonetheless.

When he stood up straight again, the banshee was at the window.

Bloodshot baby blue eyes met golden yellow, and she shook a bit.

"Did... did you know her?"

"Who?"

"Mukuro. My sister."

"....no. I'm sorry. I didn't know her."

She hung her head. "Sorry about all of this... I'm Junko."

"Korekiyo."

"Nice."

"Are you Rantaro's new plaything? Why are you in his house?"

"Oh, he turned me."

"Ah. How old are you?"

"17. I'll be 18 tomorrow."

Junko paused, then nodded. "I see. I'll... I'll be leaving now. It was nice to meet you."

"Same to you."


	11. some CR sprite edits i did

I'm gonna be making more, but I'll be posting them on my Deviantart, AshSterling!


	12. Chapter 12

"You cut your hair."

Korekiyo tugged the collar of his shirt upward, covering his face as if it were his missing mask. "Yes. I did."

"Why?"

He looked away. "I looked too much like her."

Rantaro frowned and walked closer, sitting down on the couch next to the other and running a hand through Korekiyo's choppy, now-shoulder-length hair. He clicked his tongue. "Such a shame. You looked much prettier with long hair."

Korekiyo didn't pull away from the gentle touch, but he did narrow his eyes. "I didn't do it for you."

"Oh, I see how it is..." Rantaro smoothed down his hair a bit, grabbed one of the longer pieces, and yanked.

He yelped and pulled his hair out of the other's grip. "W-what was that for?!"

No answer. He grumbled and turned away, not even bothering to protest when arms wrapped around his waist and he was pulled into a hug.

"Don't you have anything better to do....?"

"Maybe." He pulled aside the collar of the other's shirt and dug his fangs into his neck.

Korekiyo tensed up in discomfort, then audibly whimpered.

The feeling of having blood sucked out of an artery was painful, especially when not dulled by fading consciousness.

".....please stop...."

Rantaro pulled away, wiping the excess blood away from the twin wounds with his finger and licking it off.

"You're disgusting."

"I saved you from her, didn't I?"

"She's still there when I sleep, so evidently it didn't work. I died for nothing." He pulled himself away from Rantaro and got to his feet, really not liking the feeling of being held in someone's lap like a ragdoll.

"You're implying that I'm not helping you."

"I just wanna go home. I don't wanna deal with...." He gestured vaguely. "This."

"If I take you back to your house, you very well might jump from that balcony." Rantaro folded his arms.

"But it won't kill me again."

"....you do have a point." He sighed. "Alright. I'll take you back. I'll leave my number and some blood bags with you."

He nodded. "Got it."

* * *

After Rantaro left, Korekiyo promptly evened out his hair in his bedroom mirror, slipped on a black silk mask that looked similar to his now-missing one, took off the thick sweater and replaced it with a shirt more suitable for the summer weather, and went to bed, hoping this whole thing was just some fucked-up dream.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was to a crushing weight over his entire body and two large, round red eyes staring back.

He screamed.


	13. Chapter 13

Korekiyo was out from under the stranger in seconds, on the floor and pointing the gun he'd tucked under the dresser for these exact times directly at their head.

"WHO IN THE WORLD--?!"

"G-Gonta's sorry! Rantaro told him to come here!"

Korekiyo stared at the werewolf for a moment (he now recognized him), decided this wasn't worth wasting bullets, and slid the gun back under the dresser.

"Let's discuss this downstairs."

* * *

Korekiyo had gotten oatmeal and coffee, both containing half a bag of blood (type B+, almost bland), and sat on the kitchen counter. "Okay, first of all...." He glanced over to the window, which was shattered now. "What the hell did you do to the window?"

"Ahaha.... sorry...." Gonta looked away, sheepish.

"Sorry doesn't fix my window." He sipped the coffee he'd gotten. "I'm not mad. Just a little frazzled with all the stuff that's been happening recently."

"Gonta understands." The taller man perked up. "Oh! Happy birthday, by the way."

Korekiyo choked, just barely avoiding getting coffee all over the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"I completely forgot about today." He cleared his throat and started eating his oatmeal without another word.

"Oh. Huh. Well, now you remember!"

"Mm-hm." He swallowed. "Anyway, why'd Rantaro ask you to come here?"

"He wanted Gonta to make sure you didn't hurt yourself overnight." He bit his lip and looked away. "He also wanted Gonta to tell you that he, Gonta, Shuichi, Kaede, and the others are going to a friend's concert later and to ask if you'd like to join us."

Korekiyo hummed and drank more of his coffee. "Who's gonna be playing?"

"Ibuki Mioda!"

He froze. "Ibuki Mioda."

"Yep!"

"As in,  _ the  _ Ibuki Mioda?"

"Uh-huh!"

" _ You're friends with her?! _ "

Gonta nodded. Korekiyo stared, dumbfounded.

There was no way. No way in hell that these people were friends with the Goddess of Heavy Metal.

The woman who had single-handedly changed the music industry forever, and for the better, back when she was simply playing with computer programs and a cheap microphone and releasing her creations on outdated, seldom-used platforms.

Back before she had her band, before she made her way into history, before she even showed her face to the public, she had affected thousands.

Her? Friends with these guys?

"You're lying."


	14. Chapter 14

"Gonta wouldn't lie about this! That wouldn't be gentlemanly at all!"

The genuine distress in Gonta's eyes, though fleeting, sent a pang of guilt straight to Korekiyo's heart.

"Sorry. It's just.... hard to believe." He looked down and kept eating.

".......okay. Do you want to come, or no?"

"Sure. When's the concert?"

"It's supposed to be around noon."

Well, that was unusual.

It wasn't like Ibuki to perform while it was still light out.

Then again, she'd publicly been going through a lot, and so much pressure and stress would lead any person to act unlike themselves.

And perhaps no other time fit her schedule.

_I shouldn't worry about it._

"It's..." He glanced at the clock, setting the now-empty bowl aside and drinking more coffee. "It's 8:25, so there's still a bit of time."

"The venue's kinda far, so not as much time as you probably think."

Korekiyo shrugged and hopped down from the counter. "It's still time nonetheless." He put the dishes in the sink and got to the doorway before stopping. "There's some books and documentaries in the living room if you're interested. I won't be long."

"Got it."

With that, he went upstairs to his bedroom to get ready for the day.

* * *

In the end, Korekiyo had decided on his black binder, a fishnet top with long sleeves, a pastel purple cropped tank top, black tattered jean shorts (pale pink stockings with a spiderweb pattern underneath those), and black boots.

It'd been a while since he dressed like this, so it was all a little tighter than at purchase, but not terribly so.

He'd also used a flower clip to keep his hair out of his face.

Satisfied with his appearance (he was lucky all mirrors nowadays were made so even vampires could see themselves), he went back downstairs where Gonta was waiting for him.

"You don't look like you're about to go to a metal concert."

"You look more like a bouncer at a club than a metal fan, yourself."

"Fair enough."

Korekiyo rolled his eyes and unlocked the front door. "Still mad at you about the window."

"Can't say Gonta blames you. Now that Gonta's thinking about it, he should've at least _tried_ the door."

"Yeah. So are we taking my car or yours?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Happy New Year! Here's to another year of being in stupid fandoms. /j


	15. Chapter 15

The two had ended up taking Gonta's car.

When Korekiyo had gotten in the back seat, seeing as Ryoma was in the front seat, he'd definitely gotten a scare.

"AHHH! Oh my god, you're so adorbs!"

"Wha--?" He turned to face the person he'd somehow not seen.

A little girl. She was a shadow being like Ryoma, so he could only really see a silhouette. Long pigtails, what looked like a headband, and a trimmed onesie of some sort with big animal paws.

She also had big eyes and a wide smile.

"Oh! Didn't we tell you about our daughter Kotoko?" Ryoma was a bit confused.

"No, you didn't... did you name her after the ex-actress?"

"No!" Kotoko shoved Korekiyo a bit. "That's me! I'm the one and only Kotoko Utsugi!" She paused. "Well... now I'm Kotoko Gokuhara."

Korekiyo smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Kotoko."

She giggled a bit. "Nice to meet you too!"

"Glad to know you two are getting along," Gonta mumbled. "Oh! Ko, seatbelt."

"But Daddy, the buckle's all hot!"

Ryoma handed her a small spray bottle full of cold water. "We've done this a million times."

Kotoko pouted a bit before barely managing to spray the hot metal buckle. After a few seconds, she attempted to buckle her seatbelt but failed due to the paws on her outfit.

Korekiyo chuckled. "Want me to help?"

Kotoko nodded and lifted her arms so Korekiyo could buckle her in. After that, he buckled himself in, and the car started.

"Dad, can you play Two Trucks?"

"NO!"

Korekiyo stifled laughter at Ryoma's sharp reply. Gonta backed out of the driveway and started driving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short, this chapter just wouldn't have worked otherwise.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The outfit Ibuki's wearing is this: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0982/0722/files/DSC_1346_2_grande.JPG?v=1510617681  
> Just imagine it as being bright pink, black, and bright blue along with the checkerboard pattern and iridescent boots.

Korekiyo soon learned Kotoko was not only a really cool kid, but an insanely strong one.

She'd essentially been through hell and back; the media had neglected to report all of the sick bastards she'd been working for and what they'd been doing to her, only that she was quitting acting and was being pulled out of the public eye for a long, long time.

That was several years ago, when she was 8 and Korekiyo was 13. She'd been then taken out of her parent's custody and placed in foster care, where she was taken in by Gonta and Ryoma (and later adopted).

Kotoko was 12 now, and she was obviously much better off mentally and physically than she'd ever been on-screen.

However, the topic had since switched to a hundred other, more lighthearted things.

By now, they had not only arrived but had gotten cleared to go  _ backstage _ .

Korekiyo was desperately trying to calm himself, taking shaky deep breaths and clenching and unclenching his jaw, when a very familiar voice rang out.

"Hi, Gonta! Hi, Ryoma! Hi, Kotoko! Hi, new guy!"

There she was, Ibuki Mioda in all her multicolored glory.

She'd dyed her hair yet again, this time in the colors of the lesbian flag, and she was wearing an outfit that reminded Korekiyo of some twisted version of the Mad Hatter.

She ran up to them and almost immediately hugged Kotoko, picked her up, and spun her around before setting her back down. "You're getting so big!"

Kotoko giggled and grinned. "You look super adorbs today, Ibuki!"

"Aw, you're so sweet!" She kneeled down and fist-bumped Ryoma, stood back up and hugged Gonta, and turned to Korekiyo. "So what's your name? Ibuki wants to know!"

He froze. "I-I-- I'm--"

"That's Korekiyo," Kotoko chimed in. "He's a really big fan of yours."

"Really? I love love love meeting my fans!" She grinned and held out her hand. "I-buki Mio-da! Though you already know that!"

Korekiyo slowly shook it. "A-and I-I'm Korekiyo, a-as you've already been i-informed."

"Great! We're all on the same exact page, then!"

"Miss Mioda, it's almost time to start," one of the security guards mumbled.

"Oh, shoot! Hahaha!" She put her hands on Gonta's shoulders. "You know where the others are, so go join 'em and I'll see ya later!"

With that, she walked away, and the four of them were escorted back to the seating area.


	17. Chapter 17

This had been a bad idea.

It really didn't take long for things to get overwhelming. At all.

Hell, only halfway through the first song Korekiyo had already made a stupid excuse to Rantaro (whose presence must have been the universe showing the finger to him) so he could leave and go outside to get some fresh air and some space.

However, upon going outside, he was met by Angie, Ryoma, and two others he hadn't met before.

One was a dryad with blue eyes and messy, shoulder-length blonde hair wearing what looked like a pale blue sailor's top, a white tutu, pale blue flats, and a white-and-pale-blue peaked cap.

The other was an android with almost-ground-length black hair and crimson eyes dressed in a holographic skirt, rainbow stockings, a bright pink body harness, a black mesh top, a holographic choker, and an insane amount of kandi bracelets Korekiyo could only dream of.

"Hi, Korekiyo!" Angie waved, the large sleeve of her painters smock falling to expose her arm. "Care to join us?"

"....sure."

He walked over and sat down next to Ryoma on the edge of what remained of a concrete wall.

"So this is the Korekiyo you've been telling us about," the dryad remarked.

He couldn't help but think her voice reminded him of a Disney character, though he couldn't recall the name at the moment.

"Ae, ae!" Angie grinned ear-to-ear. "Korekiyo, this is Sonia! She was a princess, but now she's a normal citizen like you and me!"

"Hi!" Sonia waved a little. "I've heard nothing but good things about you, Korekiyo. Angie tells me you're an anthropologist?"

"Y-yes." He ducked his head down a bit. (Any time his special interest was mentioned, he got shy about it, having always been told it was weird and creepy when he was younger.) "I've studied... I've studied countless cultures and their customs, beliefs, so on and so on."

_ Don't infodump, don't infodump, please for the love of all things good don't infodump-- _

"That sounds wonderful! Would you mind telling me about some of the things you've learned?"

_ Fuck. _

Before he could go on a tangent, the android gave an understanding little nod, seeming to have noticed Korekiyo's dilemma, and turned to Sonia.

"He came out here to take a mental break like the rest of us. I apologize, but I don't think this should become a class."

"Ah, you're right!" Sonia looked a little sheepish but quickly perked up again.

The android then turned back to Korekiyo. "My name is Izuru, but you can call me Izzy if you like."

"They're cool," Ryoma chimed in. "Got a long ways to go when it comes to some stuff, but still cool."

Izuru smiled, though it seemed slightly forced, and gave Korekiyo a once-over. "You've got good taste in clothes."

"Thanks. You as well."

"Ah, thank you!" They grinned wider and burst into a fit of maniacal giggling.

"In case our dear Izzy's behavior seems odd to you, they get bored easily and so act erratically in an attempt to prevent that." Sonia nodded a bit. "They're..."

"Emotionally stunted, traumatized, and way too good at everything!" Izuru resumed giggling, before suddenly stopping and slumping against Angie, loosely holding her shoulders. "Meh..."

"That's what you get for not bringing your charging port," Angie scolded. "I'd ask Atua to be kind to you tonight, but you brought this upon yourself."

They groaned a bit. "So how's your brother? He still a nightmare?"

"That's so rude! Jataro was never bad, let alone a nightmare, he was just scared and confused! He's doing wonderfully now."

Korekiyo rolled his eyes. "Angie, did you ever tell him I said hello?"

"Yes, I did! He said he'd love to meet you one day."

"He actually met Kotoko," Ryoma added with a grin. "They hit it off right away."

"That's wonderful!"

Izuru lifted their head to look at the rest of them. "Ryoma, do you have the candy.... whatchamacallits again?"

"Candy cigarettes, yeah." He pulled a small box out of his pocket and started handing out the white sticks.

Korekiyo examined the one he'd been given. "It looks like chalk."

"Tastes like it, too." Angie dropped hers on the ground and crushed it with her foot, fabric patches and stitches on her leg twisting a bit. "Almost as gross as my mouth tasted when I got revived. I have no clue how you like this stuff."

Izuru shrugged and shoved one end of it in their mouth, chewing on it a bit. "'s edible."

"Barely."

Korekiyo copied Izuru's motion. Sure enough, it was like chalk in his mouth.

He liked it.


	18. Chapter 18

The five discussed a number of things. Family, social issues, Mukuro's recent untimely death, and so on.

Korekiyo stayed with them for about 20 minutes before thanking them for letting him speak with them, then went back inside.

Rantaro was waiting for him.

"What the hell were you doing outside?"

"I-I--"

"What if someone had hurt you? Or tried to take you? What then, huh?"

"I'm an adult now, Rantaro, I can handle myself!"

Rantaro scoffed and grabbed him by his wrist, pulling him back to the group.

Korekiyo quickly found himself stressed again, so much so that he felt detached from his own body. Partially influenced by the blaring music, mostly from Rantaro's unwavering grip on him.

He was only vaguely aware that Miu was trying to talk to him, only vaguely aware that Rantaro was arguing with her.

Then, Rantaro let go of him.

Miu shook him, and upon seeing his lack of response, slapped him.

"Snap out of it!"

He did, indeed, snap out of it and immediately hid behind her, wanting to stay as far away from Rantaro as possible at the moment.

She gave a breathy little chuckle and put her hands on her hips, tail waving idly as she stared down the green-haired vampire in front of her.

"People are staring, y'know. Just give him back, it'll be no big deal."

"You're being an assface, asshole. Clearly he doesn't want to be by you, so you should respect that."

" _Tch._ " Rantaro walked away.

Miu turned to Korekiyo, smiling warmly. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Great! I'm gonna go buy something to drink. I'll be back, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded a little.

She left, and Korekiyo went back to just enjoying the music.


	19. Chapter 19

The rest of the night went by in a blur.

All that Korekiyo was 100% sure of was 3 things:

  * He was home.



  * He was safe.



  * He was tired.



So he took a shower, brushed his hair, put on boxers and an oversized shirt, and collapsed onto his bed, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

The following day, Izuru had invited Korekiyo out for ice cream with some of the others as a sort of "sorry about the chaos you had to go through last night".

Korekiyo had declined at first but quickly changed his mind after receiving a text from Rantaro asking if he had any plans for the day.

It turned out that the others that would be accompanying them were a woman named Peko, Maki, Kiibo, Junko's daughter Monaca, and a man named Chihiro.

"So you guys are monsters too?"

Chihiro nodded. "Yep! Peko's a selkie, Monaca's a doll, and I'm... actually, hang on."

He stood up from the park bench and removed the black mask he was wearing, showing he didn't have a mouth, then lifted his hair up, showing a large mouth with many large, sharp teeth on the back of his head.

"As far as I know, I'm not classified and I'm not going to pretend I am."

"Oh! That's kind of like Futakuchi-onna! They're monsters from Japanese mythology, and I've always found them quite interesting. The only difference is that you're not a woman, you don't have long black hair, and you don't have a mouth on your face."

Chihiro shrugged and sat back down, tying his short hair into a ponytail the best he could before starting to eat the vanilla cone he'd gotten.

Korekiyo tentatively nibbled at the strawberry froyo that he'd gotten before turning to Monaca.

"So, would you like to tell me a bit about you?"

"Not really...."

"I understand. I can respect that."

"What is _up_ , my sweetest dudes? Luminary Of The Stars, at your service!"

Maki rolled her eyes. "Hi, Kaito."

"Hey, Maki-roll!" The purple-haired werewolf patted her head and grinned. "I see you've got Chi, Kii, Izzy, Mo, Peck, and Korey with ya!"

"Yes, and you can talk _to_ them instead of talking _about_ them." She then bit the waffle cone of her ice cream. "My fibro's acting up today, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch me."

"Right, right, right! Sorry about that!"

* * *

"Thank you."

"Hm?" Izuru was preoccupied, having been going around the park with Korekiyo to pet dogs.

"Thanks for doing all of this. You didn't have to invite me. And... At the concert. I never thanked you for keeping me from embarrassing myself by going on a tangent."

"It's no problem, really." They tossed the stick of their long-gone orange popsicle into a garbage can, stepping up onto the edge of an empty park bench, then onto the back of it to spin themself around a light pole before sitting cross-legged on top of the garbage can itself. "I know the feeling."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Coding errors." They hit themself in the side of the head, imitating a dizzy look before sticking their tongue out at Korekiyo and rolling their eyes. "Can't have a robot that's perfect, can ya? No, ya had to go and traumatize the shit outta 'em, making them develop some weird habits as a result."

"That's gotta suck...."

"Nothing I can do, so I try not to think about it." They hopped down from the garbage can, their platform sneakers making a dull thud against the pavement, and pulled out their phone. "Wanna take a selfie?"

"Um..."

"I won't post it. I just think you're pretty and you seem to be having a good time, so I wanna take a picture to remember today."

Korekiyo thought another moment, then nodded.

Izuru wrapped an arm around his shoulders, smiling and holding up their phone. "Say 'cheese'!"

Korekiyo smiled, and Izuru took the picture.


	20. Chapter 20

Were Korekiyo dumb, he would've been surprised.

But he wasn't dumb. So when he came home and Rantaro was on the front porch waiting for him, he wasn't surprised. He expected it, really.

What he  _ was  _ surprised by was when he attempted to let himself inside, Rantaro instead grabbed his wrists, pinned him to the door, and bit into his neck.

"Nnn--!" He attempted to pull free, but these attempts didn't work and so he instantly gave up despite the pain.

Once Rantaro had his fill, he pulled away with a smirk, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "I'm never gonna get over how sweet you are~"

"You're creepy."

"And you're cute."

"Case in point." He opened the door and walked in.

"You're not gonna invite me in?" Rantaro feigned hurt.

"I don't want you in my house. Now go." He shut the door and locked it, immediately going to the kitchen and getting a blood bag out of the fridge.

Type O, a little sour. 

He drank about half of the bag.

Korekiyo checked the time (only 1:00 PM), read some articles online about a newly-discovered ancient civilization (the earliest recorded instance of different kinds of monsters coming together and living peacefully, in fact), made some notes in his journal, gave himself his T-shot, and took a nap.

A nap that turned into him sleeping until 10 PM.

Which was fine, since nothing he'd wanted to do was actually important, it just wasn't ideal.

So he got out of bed, took a shower, got something to eat, and checked his phone.

47 missed calls from an unknown number.

Calling them back yielded no answer, just a dial tone, so he simply blocked the number and proceeded as usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be sacrificing longer chapters for time and creative energy, since I recently started another story (under the same psued, it's called The Melancholy of That Infamous Superstar, I recommend you all check it out).  
> They'll be longer than this one, but not quite as long as past ones.  
> I hope you all don't mind.


	21. Chapter 21

Korekiyo ended up falling asleep again on the couch.

Which was fine. He didn't have any urgent matters to attend to. It just wasn't ideal.

When he opened his eyes and found himself in a forest, he was expecting a calm dream, but of course that expectation was shattered when he saw an unfortunately-familiar face peering at him from behind a tree.

Within moments, he found himself lying in the grass with the uncomfortable weight of someone straddling his waist.

"Korekiyo."

"Sister."

He tried to get from under Her, but she simply grabbed his wrists and pinned him down. "Korekiyoooo~"

Korekiyo closed his eyes and continued to struggle, cringing when he felt her lips softly touch his forehead. "L-let go of me... please...."

She smiled and tugged down the silk mask the dream had produced, staining his lips red with her own lipstick. Korekiyo did his best to shove her away.

"Oh, my sweet Korekiyo...." She traced her fingertips over the bite wound on Korekiyo's neck, chuckling slightly when the pain made him wince and tear up.

"S-sister, please--"

"You've done well, Korekiyo. You've resisted Rantaro's advances. I'm proud of you."

Korekiyo made a mental note to change that, and then he woke up.

\--------

Several things could be noted.

  * There was a tray on a table with a blood bag (type B), bread and strawberry jam, a cup of coffee, and a note.
  * His phone was next to that tray.
  * His clothes had been changed. He now wore an oversized pink teeshirt that went down to his knees and black ankle socks.
  * He wasn't home.
  * He didn't know where he was, but this definitely wasn't his house.



Picking up the note yielded no answer. 

It simply read "come downstairs."

He opted to eat first.


	22. Chapter 22

"Shinguji!"

Korekiyo was startled but not surprised.

"Rantaro, did you kidnap me?"

"More or less." The green-haired man gave an innocent smile. "Technically Gonta did, but I told him to."

"Wha--?" He was taken aback, but cleared his throat and continued speaking calmly. "Why do you keep asking Gonta to mess with me?"

"We made a deal a while back. If he did as I told, I'd provide Kotoko protection." He pulled out a small slip of paper, showed Gonta's messy signature, then pocketed it again. "I'll let you go home, don't worry."

Korekiyo, remembering Sister's delight at seeing him be put off by Rantaro, simply nodded and took a step toward the other.

"Did you eat what I left out for you?"

"Uh-huh. You didn't drug it or anything, right?"

"No, of course not!" He chuckled and kissed Korekiyo on the forehead. "Who do you take me for?"

"Um..."

"It's okay." He tucked a lock of Korekiyo's hair behind his ear and walked away.

"C-can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"What exactly do you want from me?"

"I just want to see you safe and happy. My methods may be unconventional, but that's the end goal."

"I thought you arranged something with my therapist."

"I did." Rantaro sat in a chair backwards to face the other. "I canceled your appointments indefinitely."

Korekiyo didn't reply, just looked at the floor.

So this was it, huh? He was going to be stuck with Rantaro, and like it or not, this man was his only option for recovery from...

....from her.

"Some of the others and I are gonna be heading to the mall later. Wanna come?"

".....sure."

Why not? He had no idea when the next time he was gonna be leaving the house was.

At the very least, he could spend time with someone other than Rantaro.

He had no idea when that would next happen.


	23. Chapter 23

Rantaro had given him a black pair of shorts (Korekiyo had later discovered Rantaro had left him in his underwear when giving him the previous new clothes, that bastard), a mint-green shirt with a kitsune on it that properly fit, and red sneakers.

He was also gifted a new black mask with a purple heart on the front. Not that he needed it, but hiding his fangs was for the best.

It was cute anyway, and the fabric felt nice against his sensitive skin.

Then he, Rantaro, Kaito, Junko, and a woman named Aoi piled into Junko's minivan.

* * *

He, Kaito, and Junko ended up going to Hot Topic while the other two wandered off to God-knows-where. Korekiyo found himself looking through the piercings and jewelry rather quickly, and it wasn't long before Kaito joined him.

"Hello, Mr. Luminary," he greeted quietly as he pulled a moonstone necklace off of the rack to take a better look at. "....you like pretty things too?"

"I guess you could say that!" He chuckled and smiled a little, just-too-sharp canine teeth plainly visible.

Korekiyo nodded and handed the necklace to Kaito. The purple packaging almost matched his hair, something he didn't realize until now. "I'll pay for it, but it'll be yours."

Without waiting for a reply or reaction, he walked away and instead began looking at the pins and bags.

"Hello, Shinguji."

"Rantaro."

He wasn't surprised that Rantaro had appeared. He genuinely couldn't be surprised anymore.

"Eying this, hm?" Rantaro grabbed a backpack off of its hook.

It was pink and had black angel wings on it.

"Yes. It's too expensive, though."

A smirk from the green-haired man. "I'll pay."

"Thank you." He would've said something about not falling for Rantaro's tricks, but he really wanted that backpack.

Rantaro kissed him on the cheek.

He didn't flinch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another super short chapter. Just to get the plot moving again.


	24. Chapter 24

The mall shut down out of nowhere. They were being ordered to leave, the stores were closing, and people were being herded out of the exit like a flock of sheep.

Noisy, panicking sheep, that is.

It was only hours later that Korekiyo found out why: a woman had found a mutilated dead body in Claire's.

Despite the injuries, the face was intact enough to be given an ID; a dryad named Hiroko. Aoi said that she'd been her friend Yasuhiro's mother.

He couldn't bring himself to feel sad, since he'd never heard of her before let alone met her, but he was sympathetic to the situation and hoped that the afterlife (if there was one. If there was, he'd been denied access to it, so he didn't know) treated her kindly.

He sighed and ran his thumb over the black velvet wing of his new bag. The texture felt  _ wrong _ , but it was more comforting than the smooth pink leather.

First Mukuro, now Hiroko. Both of them killed in a short period of time, both killed in slow, violent, and undoubtedly painful ways, then left to rot in public places perceived to be safe. Both monsters, as well.

Korekiyo couldn't help but wonder if the same sick individual was behind the murders.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of hands on his shoulders.

"Rantaro."

"Shinguji...." He pressed a gentle kiss to Korekiyo's neck, then smiled. "You're hungry."

"Y-yes. How--"

"I can smell it." He held out his arm. "Take as much as you need."

Korekiyo hesitated before putting down the backpack and biting into Rantaro's flesh.

This time, his method of drinking the blood was much cleaner, though it still left his lips stained red, as though he were wearing lipstick.

When he pulled away and Rantaro saw this, he kissed the other, running his fingers through his hair.

Korekiyo hesitated a moment before kissing back.

Any touch was better than Sister's, even if it came from someone else he was afraid of. Why not take what was offered to him?

After all, curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.


	25. Chapter 25

Korekiyo woke up in Rantaro's bed with no recollection of anything that happened after coming home from the mall. He was, however, acutely aware he was alone in the room, he was naked and sore, and he was hungry.

Ignoring the obvious conclusion to draw based on the first two facts, he simply got dressed and went to the kitchen.

He didn't find Rantaro, but he did find Kokichi sitting crosslegged in the cupboards eating a jar of Nutella.

"Kokichi, what are you doing?"

He swallowed. "Time isn't real and I'm hungry."

"What are you doing  _ in this house _ ?"

"Rantaro's been doin' some shady shit lately. Just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." He grabbed a blood bag from the fridge.

"He left hickeys when he fucked you, y'know."

Korekiyo's hand shot up to his neck to cover the marks, despite the fact Kokichi had already seen.

The imp chuckled, tail waving idly. "You're not gonna be allowed to leave for who knows how long. I wouldn't worry about anyone seeing those if I were you."

Korekiyo didn't reply, just began drinking the blood. Type B, he noted. 

It was Rantaro's.

"As much as you like to pretend you're fine, I've seen your dreamscape."

"Wait, what?"

"Nishishishi~ That was a lie!"

"You're an asshole."

"I know." The imp grinned.

Korekiyo rolled his eyes and left the room, taking note of the soft footsteps following him though not commenting, and went back upstairs to "his" room.

Rantaro had put his things in here, as well as changed the sheets to a softer and darker fabric.

Kokichi pulled Korekiyo's phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. "This was back at your house. Figured you might need it."

".....thank you, Kokichi."

"You're welcome!"


	26. Hiatus

Quarantine is taking a toll on my mental health and my creative process, so until I'm in a better state of mind, I'll be letting this story sit.  
Please, please understand I don't want to do this and that I'd love to continue working on this, but it's for the good of both the story and myself that I take a break.  
Thank you for reading up to this point, and have a lovely day/night.


	27. Sorry.

I've lost any and all motivation and passion for this fic.

If someone wants to continue this in a fic of their own, feel free to, I'd actually love to see that, but I can't force myself to work on something I've _forgotten about_ on multiple occasions because of how disinterested I was in working on it.

Looking back, I'm.... really not happy with what I had set up here. There was potential in certain aspects and I had plans to do something great with it, but.... I just can't. The whole dynamic between Rantaro and Kiyo even weirds me, the author, out whenever I reread this, I had no concrete plot set out, etcetera, etcetera.

I'd like to thank the commenter A Kiyo's Fan for making my day every time they left a comment on new chapters and it's no exaggeration to say that they're one of the main reasons I motivated to get this far into the fic. I appreciate you, dude, and thanks for sticking around.

.....

I hate ending fics early, but it feels a lot better to leave them to gather dust.

I'd appreciate if you guys checked out my other fics, it'd mean so much to me, but that's not necessary. Thanks for the support and thanks for reading.


End file.
